1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-vehicle input device used for, for example, function selection and function control of an in-vehicle audio system and/or an in-vehicle air conditioner.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a known in-vehicle input device includes a device that has a rocking operating knob disposed on a spoke of a steering wheel and detects the rocking (seesaw movement) of the operating knob (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-14966). In an in-vehicle input device, a storage depression accommodating the operating knob is formed in a case mounted on the spoke, and shafts provided on inner walls on opposite sides of the storage depression are engaged with shaft holes formed in the centers of side walls on both sides of the operating knob. In this way, the operating knob is supported in the case in such a manner that it rock around the central axis of the rocking, which is the straight line connecting the shafts. A circuit board provided with a plurality of switching elements is disposed on the bottom surface of the storage depression. The switching elements face the end sections of the operating knob from the back in the longitudinal direction.
In an in-vehicle input device having such a configuration, when an operator (driver) holding the steering wheel pushes one end section of the operating knob in the longitudinal direction, the operating knob rocks around the center axis to turn on a switching element. Accordingly, when items displayed on the display screen are selected on the basis of an ON signal output from the switching element, the operator can, for example, perform volume control or song selection for an in-vehicle audio system while holding the steering wheel. When the pushing force applied to the operating knob is removed, the operating knob returns to a neutral position due to a resilient force of resilient members included in the switching elements to turn off the switching elements.